


Divergence

by SSAerial



Category: One Piece
Genre: AU Cannon Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-15
Updated: 2014-09-21
Packaged: 2018-01-24 23:08:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1620299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SSAerial/pseuds/SSAerial
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Law realized what kind of man his supposed family was like, he jumped onto the first ship he could and sailed away in hopes of running from his past. Unwittingly, he ends up in the East Blue on a small island and meets a pair of brothers in the process, having no idea that in another life, his now so called brother was his greatest ally and rival.   AU DISCONTINUED</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea where this came from. I’ve become completely obsessed with One Piece, again, and thus, this fic was born. And yes, I have been working on my other fics too, so don’t worry or start nagging. None of them are on hiatus and will be continued.
> 
> EDIT: Hi! So, I am really sorry to say that this story is now officially discontinued. I know that I'm disappointing people by saying this, but after catching up on canon, it just doesn't feel right to me to continue Law's AU past. I never really like going against such big plot points, and usually try to follow canon as much as possible. Also, it's not fair to you all to lead you on after realizing this. Thank you so much for following this story and supporting me with your reviews along the way, and I hope you continue to read my other future fics. And with that, I still hope you enjoyed this fic and understand my decision.

* * *

  **Prologue**

* * *

 

If any of the guards had been watching closely that night, maybe the young master never would’ve escaped.

However, this is unlikely since Trafalgar Law was quite an intelligent, sly individual who was used to sneaking around and having a backup plan whenever he endeavors to do something, especially when he had the proper motivation to do so.

With a thumping heart and sweaty hands, the teen had quickly jumped on to the ship he had beforehand prepared by the side dock and unwrapped the rope that held the ship to land. The island Doflamingo had decided to dock at for a while was fortunately very large, which would give the escapee a head start before the tyrannical man discovered he was nowhere on the island.

Law got the large stick he had brought just in case and heaved the small ship with the grinding of his stick onto the ground and pushed the large wooden transportation to get in the water. His efforts paid off as the ship broke free, causing Law to wobble and fall on his butt as the waves peacefully bobbed the ship up and down. Quickly getting over his brief moment of pain, the teen expertly managed the sails like a true sailor, darting around to make sure the ropes were tight before going to the steering wheel.

The black haired teen grabbed on to the handles, feeling a sense of power he hadn’t ever felt before at being in charge. Doflamingo wasn’t here to feed him anymore lies. The man was a monster, and he knew he could no longer stay and follow him.

He couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret at this but instantly shook it off.

No. This was for the best. Besides, he has never been good at obeying other people’s wishes.

Pushing his mind to the sea, a sense of elation tingled his whole body. He didn’t have a destination in mind. He had no idea where he was going to go and what he was going to do with himself now that there was nobody to watch over him.

He grinned at the thought and viciously turned the wheel, finding the wind laughing along with him as he followed the cool breeze, excitement taking over his being.

Trafalgar Law was free.

**-A-**

Unknown to him, two brothers were sobbing their hearts out, a complete contrast to Law’s joy.

The older boy who has never cried let go of his pride as he grieved for the blonde, top hat boy who had been there since the beginning of his loneliness. He clung on to the letter that was written with a childish scrawl as if it was a lifeline, his tears carried by the same wind that currently caressed another boy who was seas away.

The earnest younger boy with the straw hat felt sorrow unlike any other at the loss, well away from his older brother. And then, he did something he never did before.

He prayed.

Fervently, he prayed for Ace’s happiness since even he knew that the older boy needed it more than him. He knew their departed brother longer and was probably taking the loss even harder. So he clapped his hands together and begged to the sea to have something good come this way, something that can slowly take the pain away.

He had no idea that the sea will indeed answer to his call, and bring a white spotted hatted teen towards their direction, changing their destiny in the process.

The sea was a fickle thing after all, and something that causes a child’s tears is a crime in on itself.

* * *

  **Chapter 1**

* * *

 

Scratching the back of his head, Law finally admitted defeat.

It was official. He was well and truly officially lost.

He knew he was somewhere in the East Blue, which was quite a feat since he had started out far north at the start of his journey. It’s been a few months since he had travelled and the novelty by that time has worn off a bit, especially since he ran out of money.

He hadn’t been careless about the gold either. He had tried to save the money as much as possible, extending it to even a month until he had a stroke of bad luck when his ship accidently got damaged from being bumped by another larger ship. He internally scowled as he recalled how the piece of shit didn’t even bother to apologize because he was apparently some big shot captain around the area.

Considering East Blue was the weakest out of all the seas, Law had not been impressed.

Unfortunately, his opinion didn’t matter as he had been left in the dust with his damaged ship, forcing him to buy equipment and wood at the next town to fix it himself. Buying another ship would’ve been a lot safer and quicker, but ships were expensive and he had nowhere near enough money to buy one.

Now battered and broke, here he was in the middle of the ocean with not a hint of land in sight.

Checking his log pose again – he had pickpocketed the device from a clueless villager the last time he had been with the flamingo smiling bastard – he watched carefully how the little needle pointed straight ahead from where he was standing.

Nodding in satisfaction, he changed his course and hoped he would have better luck this time around.

**-A-**

Staring, he idly thought to himself that he should’ve gone to the other side of the damn island because this was just ridiculous.

Everywhere he looked, not a spot of dirt or anything even remotely filthy met his disbelieving gaze. The streets and buildings were all unnaturally white, completely new looking as if never having faced age. Hell, they practically _sparkled_. Even the very air was stale and strange, the smell of the ocean unable to penetrate the walls of the Goa Kingdom. He felt almost sick from the absence of something that was so constant in his life.

In horrible comparison, the people here looked disgusting. Their ugly mugs would probably make even their mothers scream in horror. Their clothes were frivolous and neon colored, hurting his eyes. Even the guards who had been lazing at the entrance of the gate had looked clownish and silly with those frills. And they were apparently quite greedy seeing how it had been so easy to bribe them to let him in.

Now he seriously regretted that decision. The only reason why he had gone to this entrance was because he had been curious as to why there was a wall despite the wary caution he had simultaneously felt. If he had known how disturbing this place was, he never would’ve come here.

Stifling how truly unnerved he was, he calmly walked down the streets, intent on buying supplies as quickly as possible so he could leave. He didn’t want to stay any longer than necessary.

Striding through the crowd, he glanced around and paused when he saw something that made him blink. Repeatedly.

An odd figure was stumbling awkwardly down the streets, feet nearly stomping the floors left and right as if trying to balance himself; Law presumed it to be a male from his large height.

For a brief second, Law swore that the man’s hips actually _jiggled_ for the lack of a better word, making him immediately suspicious. What the hell?

Narrowing his eyes, he took note of the rather large cloak that practically mopped the floor, covering the person’s form completely. It practically screamed for unwanted notice and suspicion. The fact that no one was giving him a second glance spoke volumes for Goa’s intelligence. Law was torn between annoyance and amusement over the figure’s poor disguise and how nobody was questioning it _at all._

Watching the odd spectacle for a moment, he was tempted to just go up to the person and mock him for his rather pitiful getup. Caution and his own blasted curiosity conflicted with each other yet again.

On one hand, he really didn’t want to cause trouble to bring attention on to himself. If Doflamingo heard a whiff of news about him, who knew what he would do to this island if he came.

On the other hand, he hadn’t had any fun in a while. Something harmless as talking to a person couldn’t be that bad, right?

However, before he could come to a decision, it was made for him.

Without any warning, the cloaked form seemed to trip on his own feet, causing the person to stumble and fall in a collapsed heap in the middle of the street.

Only, it w _asn’t_ a man like Law presumed.

Instead, something tumbled out of the cloak, the sound of cursing and yelping loudly heard by everyone in proximity, muffled from under the cloth. The cloth flung off as something grabbed the thing from underneath and threw it away, revealing to everyone who had been under the disguise.

Two boys showed themselves to the viewers, one whose legs were tangled with the other boy’s rather gangly arms. Unlike any of the abnormally dressed people in this fortress, the boys were actually wearing normal rolled up jeans and t-shirts. Both boys hair were midnight black and wild, the smell of dirt and the familiar sea hitting Law’s nose.

The two kids didn’t seem to notice the audience as both started to bicker and yell at each other.

“Shit! Luffy! What the hell did you trip for dumbass?!”

“Shut up! You try being the bottom, you’re really heavy! And fat!”

“I’m not _fat_! Stop saying stupid things idiot!” with this, the older looking boy banged his fist on top of the other boys’ head. The younger boy cried out in pain, grabbing on to the sudden injury while glaring at the other boy.

“AHH! That hurt you jerk!”

“Like hell it did! You’re made out of damn rubber! And this is your fault! Why the hell did you suddenly take off so far here?! We’re at the other side of Goa!”

“I smelled meat.”

The older boy groaned and slapped his forehead, not looking surprised at all from this absurd answer.

“Of course you did. You’re like a damn dog.”

“But I’m hungry!” the boy whined, still rubbing his probably throbbing head.

Before the other boy could respond, the shocked crowd began to finally take action.

“Oh God! What is _that_ doing here?”

“Quick, somebody get the guards! I don’t want those _things_ touching me!”

The older boy swore and snatched the younger boy’s arm.

“Come on!” he yelled before promptly dragging the other boy along with him. Law watched as the younger boy started to run as well. Looking behind him, Law saw that the guards were starting to give chase as well, guns and swords at ready.

He felt his eyes widen. Weren’t they taking this a bit too far? They were just a bunch of kids!

The injustice made him narrow his eyes and before he could think things through, he grabbed the sword that was wrapped around his back and drew out his large nodachi. It had been a pain in the butt to get the sword inside, but he had managed it in the end when he paid extra to the entrance guard. There was no way in hell he would go anywhere unarmed.

The guards paused at the incredibly long sword and gave him dubious looks.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing kid?” Law twitched at the kid comment and simply gave a cocky smirk, lightly tapping the sword to the ground.

“I have a sword out. What does it look like I’m doing?” he said sarcastically. He thoroughly enjoyed the vein that visibly popped from his snappy retort.

“This is none of your business. You’re just a visitor. Move aside.”

“You don’t tell me what to do.” Law said unrepentantly. His smirk grew bigger. “Besides, I haven’t had a short fight in a long while. So gentlemen, do entertain me.”

To say they weren’t happy by his mocking was an understatement. Without hesitation, the guards charged clumsily towards him. Law could already see that the men probably had never fought a real enemy in their entire lives. Pathetic.

Glancing behind him nonchalantly while he laughably deflected one of the men’s blade, he saw the younger boy was looking at him, eyes wide with shock and curiosity. For some reason, he even stopped to stare at him more, the older boy yelling at him to get a move on. This thoroughly confused him. Shouldn’t the boy be escaping by now?

Shrugging, he fought with ease, getting into the familiar rhythm as adrenaline pumped in his veins. From the way these men fought, he had absolute confidence in winning this unscathed and preferably without his devils fruit power. Using it with so many witnesses will definitely get back to Doflamingo like lightning.

Suddenly, without warning, a lucky shot managed to nick him by the side, causing him to flinch at the pain. One of the guards must’ve noticed because he dived headfirst to slash his sword at him. Law barely managed to get out of the way, thrown off by the sudden onslaught. He berated at himself for being so careless and before he could start to attack again, a furious shout blew from behind him.

Whirling around, he watched stunned as the two boys who were supposed to be running away came back, both having metal pipes in their hands as they whacked it on two guards’ heads simultaneously. Surprisingly, the guards were knocked out cold by the force, collapsing onto the ground with eyes rolled inward.

The older boy snapped his head to look at him, brows furrowed deeply into a scowl. Now that he was close up, Law couldn’t help but notice that the kid had freckles peppered across his cheeks, his dark eyes intimidating.

“Well? You coming or not?” the boy growled. Before Law could respond, the younger boy deftly latched on to his hand and started to run. The action was so sudden, that Law almost tripped as the boy steamtrained away from the men. The cursing shouts they got in response as they escaped made Law unintentionally smirk.

Suckers.

The younger one must’ve seen him because he threw his head back and started to joyously laugh, the sound bright and cheerful and unfitting for their current situation. The older boy whooped with a large grin and together, all three of them ran away from the law enforcements as if it was completely natural.

Law couldn’t help but think it was weird but ignored it, too busy enjoying the moment.

How strange indeed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this chapter is definitely longer than my first, which had been sort of an intro to my story. Thanks for the reviews and enjoy! And sorry for the long wait!

“Captain! Captain!”

Law grudgingly opened one eye, gaze impassive, as if seeing a white, talking polar bear decked out in an orange jump suit was completely normal.

On the Heart Pirate’s yellow submarine, it was.

“What is it Bepo?” he asked calmly, only to be assaulted by papers the next moment by the frantic bear.

“It’s-It’s an uproar captain! Some marine captain defeated and apprehended a Shichibukai!”

Well _that_ certainly caught his attention.

Taking the paper with nonchalance, inwardly smirking when he saw how the bear fidgeted at his deliberately slow actions, he opened up the papers…

And promptly choked.

Because right on the damn cover was the familiar face of a grinning idiot with raven hair and a straw hat on top of his head, as if it always belonged there.

_“Hey! Don’t touch it! This is my precious hat that Shanks gave to me!”_

_“I’m going to be the King of Pirates!”_

_“Say, you’ve been here for a while now… Does that make us brothers?”_

_“Shishishi! Bye Law! We’ll definitely see each other again!”_

“Captain?”

Law snapped out of his nostalgic reverie and pointedly ignored the concerned look the bear shot at him.

It’s been years since he’s last seen his younger brothers. Idly, he wondered how Ace was faring at the moment. He grinned to himself as he remembered the last time he had received the most recent wanted poster of him. 550 million belli was damn impressive and he was proud of the younger man of his accomplishments. Nevertheless, that didn’t meant he wasn’t going to beat him the next time they met. Twenty years old or not, he was probably just as easy to rile up as ten years ago.

Looking to the bounty poster, pride swelled inside his stomach.

30 million on his first try? That was higher than his or even Ace’s when they started out. His brother was definitely going to outdo him soon if he kept it up at this rate.

Shaking his head at this, he began to read the intriguing paper.

After a few minutes of reading, he raised an eyebrow. He had an inkling of the troubles that had been brewing in Alabasta, but he had no idea it was to this scale. One man nearly causing an all-out blood fest of a civil war to break out? That was one hell of a plan. And literally taking the rain away from the country too. Though the crimes Crocodile committed were repulsive, he did have to give points to the man for his ingenuity. A manipulation of that scale was almost comparable to Doflamingo.

Having the basis of the news down, Law delved even further. If there was one fact he knew about the government, it is that there was always something between the lines to their actions. Marines lying to the public go hand-in-hand.

Narrowing his eyes, he pondered. According to the paper, the princess Vivi had been kidnapped by the Straw Hat Pirates, resulting in her having to bribe the pirates for safe passage to Alabasta.

Law snorted at the ridiculous news. Unless it was meat, Luffy could never be persuaded into doing anything he didn’t want to. As for keeping prisoners, the very idea of it was completely laughable.

So to his interpretation, the princess must’ve somehow convinced Luffy into helping her save her country. And Luffy, who was one of the kindest and most righteous people he knew, would’ve probably been compelled to help her out of his own sense of justice.

Or maybe she just bribed him with meat into helping her. After all, she was a _princess_.

And as for this… Captain Smoker from the East Blue? There was just no way he could’ve beaten Crocodile. The man was a Shichibukai for god’s sake. It wasn’t just some fancy title you give out on a whim.

A niggling suspicion overtook him. He dreaded it, wanted to deny it, but honestly, it was no use.

If the marine captain had not defeated Crocodile, then there really was only one person who _could_ and _would_ do such a thing and come out on top.

That crazy, idiotic _moron._

He involuntarily sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair, exasperated.

 _Of_ _course_ that raging fool would go up against a damn warlord. Hell, he wasn’t even surprised. The kid had always fearlessly faced up to things that were too big for him, never backing down with a will that could break down the most invincible walls.

That broke down his _own_ walls.

But if that was the case, why? Contrary to popular belief, Luffy didn’t do things on a whim. His somewhat twisted, baffling sense of logic was what usually drove him. That, and the need to protect those that were important to him-

He closed his eyes, realization settling in.

_Ah. Of course. He must’ve gotten attached to the princess._

And if the incident of the princess escaping her own coronation in order to say good bye to the Straw Hats is true – the papers could be informative to _some_ degree – then the same could be said about the girl as well.

He couldn’t help but smile. Luffy always did have a knack for making friends in the most unusual of places. After all, he had somehow befriended him, Mr. Anti-social-to-a-fault as Ace had once called him while snickering. He wouldn’t be surprised if Luffy’s own crew had somehow been recruited in some convoluted circumstances or some manner. He wouldn’t be Luffy otherwise.

Stretching out of his chair, he tossed the papers to the side of the table, smirking. Bepo perked up as he walked toward the door, his good cheer probably making the polar bear curious.

His competitive nature was rearing its head. There was no way he was going to lose to his kid brother.

**-A-**

_“Why did you help us?” his tone was accusatory, demanding answers. The narrowed look in Ace’s eyes didn’t fit a ten year old and Law couldn’t help but wonder what the hell happened to the younger boy to make him like this. Law gave a sly smile, masking how unnerved he was by the glaring kid’s behavior while all the while ignoring the wound on his chest. Though the first aid medicine they graciously gave him helped, he was in no shape to move or escape._

_“What, you’ve never met a good Samaritan before?”_

_“No.” Ace answered brusquely. “In these parts, it’s ‘you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours’. You don’t survive in a place like this if you don’t learn that quickly.”_

_Law shrugged, smirking inwardly at how Ace seethed from the gesture. “I’m not from around these parts, so your argument is null and void kid.”_

_“I’m not a kid.” Ace snapped, teeth barring. “Where are you from anyway?”_

_“North Blue.”_

_For the first time since the conversation started, Ace’s face looked unguarded from his answer, his eyes bulging out in shock. “Seriously?! How the hell did you get all the way here?”_

_Law remembered blood and the wrenching pang of loss he had felt at the time, gasping and breaking and begging-_

_“Long story.” He said shortly._

_Before the older jungle boy could question him any further, the younger one named Luffy interrupted cheerfully._

_“Wait, does that mean you passed the Grand Line? What’s it like? Are there sea monsters? Treasure?_ Pirates _?” he said the last word with a confusing amount of excitement, as if the very idea of meeting such vile people was a treat. Law involuntarily sneered, unable to help remembering Doflamingo._

_“Don’t talk about pirates in front of me.” He spat. Ace’s face immediately darkened while Luffy blinked, looking startled and a bit hurt. Law refused to acknowledge how much the downtrodden expression affected him._

_“Don’t talk to him like that.” Ace snarled. “If it weren’t for us, you would’ve been captured and killed by those bastards.”_

_“Oh please.” He scoffed. “I could handle them.”_

_“Yeah? Well sorry to burst your bubble, but I doubt it. They may be idiots, but they’re not completely stupid. If push came to shove and you fought back, they probably would’ve had you condemned. This place,” his eyes shadowed, looking far too bitter for someone so young. “is a pit-stop for the Celestial Dragons. It wouldn’t do if conflict or rebellion rises in this place, outsider or not. Even a tiny red mark against Goa Kingdom would have them in an uproar. Hell they’ll probably just kill you off before you have the chance to explain yourself.”_

_Law’s eyes widened with utter incredulity at the explanation. The hell was up with this place?_

_‘Well, at least this explains why those soldiers were so willing to kill kids without hesitation.’ He thought with no small amount of disgust. What kind of sick, twisted island was this? He had no idea there was such a place in the East Blue. Hell, he picked East Blue to begin with to escape politics and danger!_

_“You’re gonna have to lay low for a while,” Ace continued on. His black eyes hardened. “But you sure as hell aren’t doing it here.”_

_“Ace!” Luffy looked appalled. “But-But he helped us-”_

_“And we helped him back.” Ace snapped. “We’re even.”_

_The kid’s face scrunched up. “But it’s still wrong!”_

_“Doesn’t matter. He’s not our problem.” Ace said coldly. Again, Law wondered what happened to the kid to make him so cynical._

_Surprisingly, Luffy stayed silent for a moment, face uncharacteristically blank that it was almost unnerving. Dipping his head down until the oversized hat covered his face, he looked serious and almost intimidating, his mouth set in a harsh line._

_“No.” he said firmly and resolutely. The tone made Law unconsciously straighten his back as Luffy raised his head, steel eyes unflinching. “It’s wrong Ace. He could’ve not helped but he did. That makes him a good person, so he can’t die. And,” he hesitated, the unwavering image faltering. “I don’t want to see another person die.”_

_Ace flinched, looking like he’s been slapped. Both brothers stared at each other for a long while, one looking up while the other looked down. After what felt like an eon later, Ace finally turned away with a ‘tch!’ and charged toward the wooden door of the tree house._

_He opened the door and stopped at the entrance, one hand on the door frame, face still turned._

_“You can stay.” He titled his head so Law could see his sharp eyes. “However, only until you get another boat. Those bastards probably burned yours down so you can’t escape. And they won’t dare to come over the wall. It’s too filthy for their pompous asses. As long as you’re out of sight, you’re out of mind.”_

_And with that, the stubborn, short tempered boy left, leaving the two behind with the slam of a door._

**-A-**

The market was crowded but not unbearably so. Law was quite glad about this as he strolled around the area, looking around for some decent priced food that would last long and could deal with cold temperature. Living underwater required substance that could handle with the crew’s living style.

They were just stopping by for supplies on one of the smaller islands. Since all of them – especially Bepo – made for a pretty strange sight and would catch other people’s attention, Law at least looked semi-normal enough to walk around without suspicion. He wasn’t as infamous as Luffy but he was still recognizable, so he paid extra attention to not get into any trouble.

Unfortunately, trouble seemed to find him.

One moment he was just wandering around without a care in the world. The next, he was suddenly catapulted right in the stomach by some unknown force – a person – that was thrown onto him. His back met the dirt, leaving him breathless at the impact. Recovering quickly, he was just about to dice whoever had the balls to hit him – damn secrecy, there was no way that was going to go unpunished – when a familiar orange hat met his sights.

Staring at the cowboy hat that had smiling and sad face icons perched on it, his gaze traced down to see a young, freckled man who was grinning from ear to ear in some other direction, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

“Ah, sorry. I didn’t mean to sleep on the food, honest! It happens sometimes.” He laughed in a carefree manner, so different from when he had been a child.

Law couldn’t help the disbelief from escaping out of his mouth as he said his brother’s name.

“Ace?”

Ace glanced down, as if just noticing his presence – Law felt vaguely annoyed by this, promising himself to punch the idiot later in private – and comically dropped his jaw to his knees, wide eyed and thunderstruck.

 _“Law?”_ he exclaimed incredulously in complete bewilderment. Law snorted and smirked.

“Flies, idiot.” Ace snapped his jaw shut with an audible click, still staring at him dumbly. Law rolled his eyes at this and stood up, thankfully not as winded as he thought. Brushing the dirt off his pants, he took in his younger brother’s appearance.

The man was completely shirtless, his abbs showing off like the exhibitionist he was. Other than the few bracelets and such, half of his body was completely bare.

The cowboy hat that sat on Ace’s head brought out a feeling of fondness in Law. He remembered getting that hat in a pawn shop a couple years since he met the two brothers. Since he had grown up, his appearance had changed a bit, enough for the people of Goa not to recognize him. The hat had been cheap and of good quality, sturdy enough so it can withstand the stunts Ace pulls. He had been so satisfied with himself for finding such a hat, that he had even paid for it properly instead of stealing it.

Well, with the money he had pickpocketed from a few nobles anyway. Details, details.

He didn’t know why he bought it then. While he did like the boys enough, seeing how they were the only company he had, he grew used to their life style. Stealing and fighting tooth and nail from scums to wild animals solidified the growing bond he had with them. Laughing and just being with them filled in the empty void he had felt since Cora’s death.

It felt… warm.

He would always cherish the look on Ace’s face though when he tossed the headgear towards him, nonchalantly claiming that since he and Luffy had a hat, he should have one as well. The embarrassed splutters and huffs that couldn’t quite manage to cover the kid’s pleasure had made him genuinely laugh out loud at the time, which lead them into a hectic fistfight while Luffy guffawed freely in the background.

It was at that moment when Law realized how much he cared about the two trouble-magnets and readily accepted it, knowing denial won’t change anything. They were his brothers, the only people he really needed in this world.

Snapping back into reality, he watched as Ace slowly begin to accept he wasn’t some hallucination before a humongous grin enveloped his mouth, lighting up his whole face.

“Law! You’re actually here!”

“Yeah, I think we already just established that you simpleton.” He retorted, amused. Ace let out a boisterous laugh before encircling his muscled arms around Law’s waist, even lifting him off the floor as he did. Long used to Ace’s antics, he merely patted the young man’s bare back in greeting as well. Considering the fact Law was taller than Ace, it made for quite an awkward spectacle. Putting him down, Ace grinned happily and snaked his arm around Law’s neck in a familial manner.

“Come on! Let’s have a drink and catch up for old time’s sake!”

Mulling over the idea for only a moment, Law shrugged.

“Why not?”

**-A-**

_“I don’t trust you.”_

_Law raised an eyebrow at the boy’s blunt words, not at all fazed._

_“Oh? And why’s that?” he asked in a bored manner, trying to get a rise out of the boy._

_Ace scowled, folding his arms defensively._

_“You’re from the North Blue, beyond the Grand Line. What the hell did you come here for?”_

_“I wasn’t planning on staying on this island for long. It was merely a short supply stop for me.” Law answered deliberately wrong._

_“That’s not what I meant!” Ace snarled out. “I mean, why come to the East Blue at all? There’s hardly anything here!”_

_Law shrugged, slumping his back against the wall casually. “Why not? Maybe I just want a vacation.”_

_Ace narrowed his eyes, clearly not believing him at all. Surprisingly though, he did not say immediately say anything and simply stared at him shrewdly with an intensity that was comparable to a tiger’s. It was unsettling._

_“You’re running from something, right?” Law stiffened at the wild jab, causing Ace to smirk victoriously. “Why else would you not react staying in this damn place other than annoyance?”_

_“Maybe I just enjoy your company.” Law sniped out. Ace let out a harsh laugh._

_“That’ll be the day.” He said with something close to self-loathing that completely surprised Law. Up until now, the kid had shown nothing but arrogance and anger to him, all but making himself be above Law. The manner reminded Law of himself and how he does the same to his own enemies, taunting and smirking away as if everything they did was a joke to him._

_Huh. Maybe they weren’t so different after all._

_Closing his eyes, he decided to give the younger boy a partial answer._

_“We all have our secrets.” He gave Ace a sideways glance. “I’m sure it’s the same for you too.”_

_Ace glared at him severely before finally growling like a wild animal and leaving the room. At the back of his mind, he thought it was curious how a flicker of deep-seated panic crossed the kid’s eyes like quicksilver before he ran away._

**-A-**

“A _polar bear_?” Ace voiced out skeptically. Law nodded.

“He can also talk and is an expert in martial arts.” He added with no little amusement, enjoying Ace’s growing disbelief.

“Where the hell did you find it?” he questioned with childlike curiosity.

“Him.” Law automatically corrected. It wasn’t the first time someone referred the bear as ‘it’. “And it’s a secret.”

Ace grumbled over his drink at this while Law chuckled, completely relaxed in his brother’s company. Swirling his drink in his hand, he glanced again at the mark on Ace’s back, the crescent mustache proudly shown for everyone to see. It’s probably why no one had attempted to approach the pair out of fear in angering the second commander.

“So,” Ace started, a sly and delighted grin spreading across his face. “I actually met Luffy a few weeks back in Alabasta.”

Law’s face slackened with astonishment.

“ _What?_ ” he blurted out, his usual composure absent in the face of such news. “How?”

“It was a total coincidence. I was just as shocked to see him as he was.” Ace rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “And we kinda, uh, caused some property damage and got chased by a marine captain.”

 “Why am I not surprised.” Law deadpanned.

“Hey!” Ace’s barked. “I was just minding my own business and eating my meal-”

“Probably sleeping in it.”

“-and then the Smoker guy found me and I was just about to handle the situation when Luffy just came out of nowhere through the doors and assaulted us-”

Luffy couldn’t help but snort.

Assaulted his ass. The rubber dolt probably didn’t even realize _who_ he just attacked, probably without thinking too.

“-and then I end up crashing through _ten house walls_ and couldn’t even say hi to him right after because the damn smoke guy knocked me out before I could!”

“And you ended up not being able to meet him at all?” Law smirked, finding the scenario to be very amusing.

“ _Stop smirking_ you sadistic bastard. And as a matter of fact, I _did_ get to talk with him and even got to meet his crew.” He puffed out his chest and goofily grinned. “I even gave him my vivre card, and those are pretty damn rare.”

Law couldn’t help but shoot his eyebrows to the hairline hidden under his fur hat. Those _are_ pretty rare. He couldn’t help but be a little impressed by how Ace managed to get such an item.

“So how’s he doing?” Law tried to cover how excited he was at finally hearing some firsthand news about his youngest brother. Ace laughed, obviously seeing how impatient he was.

“He’s doing just fine. His crew is a little on the strange side though.” Ace added thoughtfully. Law shook his head. Luffy always had been the most insane one out of the three of them, and that’s saying something.

He tilted his head at the fire-user – and wasn’t that a surprise – and raised his glass.

“Speaking of crews, I was shocked when I heard that you joined the Whitebeard Pirates, let alone be second commander. I can’t picture you following anyone.” Law admitted, sipping his drink.

Ace scowled good-naturedly. “Yeah, well, it wasn’t a choice at first. But then, I really started to enjoy being in the crew, having a family.” His eyes softened. “Having a real oyaji.”

That earned a soft look of understanding from Law. He knew better than anyone, probably even more than Luffy, what that would mean to the young man.

“Does he know?” he asked softly. Ace quietly snorted, face darkening a bit at the reminder of his parentage.

“Yeah. And he accepted me completely despite it.” Ace’s back straightened, pride and admiration in his voice. “I owe everything to him.”

While Law was very thankful to Whitebeard for taking care of his brother, a cynical part of him believed it was more than that. That maybe it wasn’t just generosity that made the strongest man in the world decide to accept Ace and that some scheme was at work here. Tucking away that thought for another day, he deliberately changed subjects.

“And you’re… crewmates?” he couldn’t help but pause at the wording. From the many stories Ace had just told him, it was clear he didn’t think of them as just ‘crewmates.’

Ace grinned, obvious fondness spreading over his freckled features. A flash of irritation Law didn’t know where it came from twisted in his chest.

“Yeah, they’re great.” Ace said happily, oblivious to Law’s growing foul mood. “They’re like older brothers that I can depend on.”

Law’s wondered why the bar felt was so insufferably hot all of the sudden, a burning sensation growing inside of him.

“I see.” He said stiffly. Ace finally seemed to notice as his brows furrowed together in confusion for a moment before clearing with understanding, a glimmer of teasing light entering in his mischievous eyes.

“Aw, Torao,” Law twitched at the old nickname Luffy had bestowed on him ages ago that hadn’t been heard in nearly half a decade. “are you by any chance… _jealous_?”

Law nearly spluttered in a flabbergasted manner at the ridiculous notion –him, _jealous_? – before he snapped his head around to look at the amused fire-user with indignation.

“I am not _jealous_.” He groused out.

Ace snickered annoyingly, and gave a slow, mock nod.

“Yes, I can see that.” Ace said sagely, clearly not believing him. The tone only made Law’s glare grow harder, daring the man to push any further. Thankfully, he didn’t. Smiling, Ace shook his head before patting his shoulder.

“Don’t worry Law. I only see them as dependable comrades I would put my life on the line for. You and Luffy are my _real_ family.”

Warmth that wasn’t unpleasant spread through Law to the tip of his toes, face heating slightly before he turned away from the grinning buffoon. How is he able to _say_ something like that so openly?

Shaking off his embarrassment, he hastily changed subjects.

“Anyway, what are you doing here Ace? Or even Alabasta of all places? You’ve been escaping the question during this whole conversation.”

It was true. Whenever Law tried to broach the subject at all, Ace would quickly but sloppily maneuver the questions away, bringing up story after story until the inquiry was lost. The only reason why Law hadn’t cut to the issue earlier was because he didn’t want to ruin the good mood.

Instantly, Ace’s countenance plummeted, a dangerous glint in his eyes that Law recognized.

He knew that look. He saw it every time some petty thief or noble wronged him in some way, instigating revenge in mind.

This was Ace who had a vendetta.

“I’m looking for an ex-crewmate.” Ace stated coldly. “His name is Marshall D. Teach.”

“Teach?” Law repeated. The name sparked something in his mind. “As in Blackbeard?”

He had heard the rumors of some quickly rising-in-power pirate over the last few months, but he hadn’t thought the news was so important. Hell, look at his own reputation. He himself was rapidly becoming infamous.

He’s even been hearing whispers of ten other upstarts, including Luffy – whose bounty went up again; at this point, he was going to beat Law’s own bounty if he didn’t get a move on – and some swordsman named Roronoa Zoro who was apparently on Luffy’s crew. People are even nicknaming them ‘The Eleven Supernovas.’

Personally, Law didn’t really care about the title, shrugging off people’s expectations as usual.

“Yeah.” Ace gritted his teeth, hand gripping his glass so hard that Law was half expecting it to break. “He stole a devil’s fruit and killed a crewmate!” Ace snarled. Judging from his reaction, he probably was close to the crewmate too. He wouldn’t be reacting this harshly otherwise. Law frowned.

“Whitebeard told you to hunt him down?” he asked slowly.

Privately, he disapproved of the order if that’s the case. If a man as dangerous as Teach – and he had to be if he had been a Whitebeard crewmate – was able to trick and escape from Whitebeard with his deceit, then Ace’s life would definitely be at risk with this revenge-filled mission.

Ace shifted in his seat, his anger faltering while his eyes slid away with some emotion flickering in his still hard black eyes. Law’s gaze narrowed at the behavior.

“No.” Ace answered curtly. “I decided on my own.”

“ _Ace._ ” Law’s tone turned dark.

“You don’t understand!” Ace snapped. “He was under my command! He’s my responsibility! I should’ve known what he was planning or what kind of person he was-”

“Idiot.” Ace opened his mouth to protest but Law would have none of it. “No, listen you dumbass. If even Whitebeard didn’t know this was going to happen, then there’s no way you could’ve. And responsibility or not, you still went off on your own with no backup, no concrete plan, and no way of knowing that things will turn out alright.” Law’s eyes drilled into Ace’s mercilessly. “There’s a high chance you’re going to die or be captured if you go up against him. Are you willing to put your life at risk for this raging crusade of yours? Are you willing to do that to your crew? To me? To _Luffy?_ ”

Ace flinched violently but didn’t look down, stubbornness reflected off his expression.

“I’m not going to die.” Ace said resolutely, stating it as a fact. “And I have to do this. He betrayed pops and there’s no way I’m going to let that go.”

Law huffed out a breath, frustration making him want to wring the younger man’s neck.

“You’re pride and temper has always been your worse trait.” Law muttered grimly. “Even back when we were kids, you always idiotically never retreated, no matter how many times I told you it isn’t worth it.”

“Yet I’m still here, aren’t I?” Ace pointed out. Law scowled and downed his drink.

“Why do I put up with you?”

Ace’s mouth quirked up into a smile.

**-A-**

_Law shifted without moving, uncomfortable with Luffy’s staring. Seeing that the boy wasn’t going to stop any time soon, he rose up an eyebrow dryly._

_“Is there something you need Luffy-ya?” he asked. The straw hat boy tilted his head, still looking quizzical._

_“Why are your eyes so dark? You look like an old man.”_

_Law tried not to show how taken aback he was by the blunt observation and resisted the urge to smack Ace who was chortling in the background from this comment. Instead, he tapped the dark circles under his eyes and smirked._

_“I don’t get much sleep.” He said simply. With Doflamingo constantly watching his every move for the past year ever since the incident with Cora, he always had to be on guard. Unfortunately, that cut down on his sleeping hours. Add to the fact he was an insomniac by nature didn’t really help things. Luffy made an ‘oh’ sound before abruptly grinning._

_“Okay! Then go to sleep!” the boy cheerfully chirped. Law blinked at his solution._

_“Now?”_

_“Uh huh! Why not?”_

_Despite himself, the idea of it was tempting. To just take a nap was a luxury he lost a long time ago. His lifestyle hadn’t let him. But the thought of sleeping with two complete strangers present watching over him made his stomach clench. Luffy may be harmless, but Ace was another story. The boy may have accepted him to a degree, but that did not mean either of them trusted each other._

_Law shook his head. “I don’t think it’s such a good idea-”_

_THUNK!_

_Law froze. So did Ace._

_Because the younger kid was suddenly resting his head on his chest, instantly asleep the moment he made contact with his body, soft snores audible to Law’s ears. He couldn’t help but stare stupidly down at the little boy and wondered how it was humanly possible to be able to go to sleep so swiftly-_

_-and how it was possible for the boy to already trust him this much._

_Inwardly panicking at the sudden events, Law uselessly tried to tug the boy off of him but it was no use. Surprisingly, the seven year old had one hell of a grip, his fists clenching onto his shirt like a mini sized koala bear. He silently despaired at this and was surprised to hear chuckles ring in the silence. Glancing up, he managed to catch the amused look Ace was shooting towards his brother, his eyes soft and warm and nothing like the caged beast Law saw earlier. The look vanished once Ace noticed his staring, the familiar scowl instantly back._

_“What?” he sniped. Law shook his head._

_“Nothing.” He murmured, a little awestruck. He never had a brother before, or had even considered such a bond. It was sort of amazing to see how utterly protective the older brother was to his younger. Doflamingo wouldn’t have been caught dead ever doing something like that with Corazon._

_Ace stared at him suspiciously before finally sighing and plopping himself next to Law, much to his surprise. Catching the startled look, Ace sneered and refused to look at him._

_“Luffy isn’t going to go anywhere any time soon, so we might as well go to sleep to and deal with all of this in the morning. I’m too damn tired to deal with all this.”_

_Law raised an eyebrow at the somewhat screwed logic but couldn’t fault the kid. It really has been a tiring day._

_So without further or due, he closed his eyes and drifted away, falling into blissful sleep he hadn’t experienced in what felt like forever. The three boys slept under the setting sun, unaware that this was just the beginning._

**-A-**

Law was ready to rip his hair out.

Crumpling the newspaper with shaking hands, he slammed his fists on top of his desk, for once not caring how his crew was going to react from his uncharacteristic rage.

What the fuck had Luffy been thinking?!

Going up against CP9? Interrupting an expected execution for the head of a criminal? _Declaring war against the World Government?!_

What’s he going to do next, fight a damn Admiral?!

Well, considering how Garp was an Admiral, that actually wasn’t a far off possibility.

Groaning, he resisted the urge to bang his head against the wall with self-restraint that was almost admirable.

And it wasn’t just _any_ world class criminal either –and the fact that she’s world class to begin with should say enough about the subject of how dangerous she was – but Nico Robin.

The Devil Child. A woman who earned her bounty at the age of _eight._

And the reason why Luffy rescued her was because she was apparently his _crewmate._

Well, Ace _did_ say Luffy’s crew was odd.

Running a hand through his already disheveled hair, he couldn’t bring himself to be angry at the _complete moron_ for his actions. It was so gutsy and crazy and _Luffy_ that he already felt his rage turn to exasperation at the insanity of it all.

He wryly thought to himself how this stunt was definitely going to raise Luffy’s already pretty high bounty. The thought made him want to sulk, his pride wounded.

Why were his younger brothers getting higher bounties than him?

Oh wait. It was because he wasn’t a damn lunatic like them.

Cupping his face into his hands, he silently cursed to the heavens at ever meeting the two madmen whose existence defied all logic. He hoped to God that he’ll be able to meet Luffy soon. If he didn’t shake some sense into that bastard, who knows what kind of more trouble he’ll get himself into?

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally done! Please review on the way out.

**Author's Note:**

> Please review on the way out.


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